Fishing bob



W. C. MILLER FISHING BOB Patented Oct. 2, 1951 FISHING BOB Walter C. Miller, West Allis, Wis., assignor to Frabill Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 20, 1946, Serial No. 655,812

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in shing bobs.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a fishing bob having an instantly adjustable member through which a fish line may freely slip When the member is in one position, and which will xedly secure the line to the bob when in another position.

Further objects are to provide a fishing bob which can be instantly released and re-attached to a fish line without impairing or cutting the line; to provide such a device which can be made at minimum expense; to provide means for protecting it against deterioration and decay; and. in general, to provide a more serviceable fishing bob than those heretofore available.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of`my improved fishing bob, showing the same in fixed engagement with a fish line.

Figure 2 is asimilar view, showing the same in line releasing position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2, and showing the hook bend in perspective.

Figure 4 is a detail view, showing a slightly modified clutch rod.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the construction illustrated, a generally eggshaped body I0, preferably of cork, is provided with a bore II at its longer axis, in which a wooden rod I'2 is mounted, with an exposed operating stern I3 at one end and a line engaging U- shaped metal hook I4 at the other end. The hook I4 has a tubular shank I5 which embraces a reduced portion I6 of the rod I2 and is secured thereto by a cross pin I8 which also serves as a seating for one end of a lcoiled compression spring 20. The other end of the spring seats against the inner end of an apertured plug 2l, preferably of rubber, and which is fitted to the bore I I at the smaller end of the body I0. The spring normally holds the hook I4 concealed within the plug 2|, as shown in Figure 1, in which position it may bend an engaged line on an angular or non-rectilinear path into binding relation to the plug. But the hook may be instantly projected to the Figure 2 position by manually applying pressure to the exposed end I3 of the rod I2. The form of the hook is such that when it is projected to the Figure 2 position the line will be unbent from the plug to be released for free sliding movement and instantly readjusted to vary the distance between the bob and the sh hook.

(Cl. l13--44.95)

Another apertured plug 24 is seated in the end of the bore at the larger end of the body, with the rod I2 extending therethrough. The aperturedI plugs 2| and 24 are cemented or shellacked to the body, whereby they are permanently secured in place and also serve as linings for the end portions of the bore to protect those portions against deterioration. When the hook bends the sh line into binding relation to the lining 2I it sinks into the rubber without any tendency to fray or weaken the line.

The portion of the metal member which forms the hook I4 is concave-convex in cross section, as best shown in Figure 3, and the bend 26 inthe hook is rounded or U-shaped as distinguished from a V-shaped angle. Therefore the fish line 22 slips freely through the hook when the latter is exposed in the Figure 2 position, the line being gripped against the associated plug only when drawn into the aperture in the plug, as shown in Figure 1. This is a very important feature of my invention. In my early experiments with hooks made from flat strips of metal with V-shaped bends, I found that the edges of the metal tended to cut the line and the line also became bound tightly in the sharp or V-shaped angle. When so bound it was difficult to release it for the purpose of varying the distance between the bob and the fish hook, and this also tended to break or fray the line. 'Therefore my earlier experimental models were impractical, but these objections were eliminated by rounding the bend 26 and forming the line engaging hook from a strip of sheet metal of concave-convex cross section. As is clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings the hook I4 is of less width than the aperture of the plug 2I in order to provide for clearance between the hook and the plug in order to accommodate the line 22 which is drawn into the plug aperture. By reason of this relationship, the line may be snubbed against the plug without being pinched or cut between the hook and the plug. It will be observed that normally no metal is visible to the fish, the hook I4 being concealed when the bob is in use, and the operating stem I3 being of wood.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated a slight modification, in which the shank I5a of the metal hook is provided with a flange 2l which serves as a seating for the spring. The metal of the shank I5a is indented at 28 to secure the shank to the operating rod I2.

I claim:

l. A fishing bob comprising a oat having a bore, an apertured plug in each end of the bore, a compression spring housed within the bore between the respective plugs, and a stem provided with a hook and reciprocable through the apertures of the plugs and extending through the spring between said plugs, said stem being provided with a spring seat also normally engaged with one of said plugs to receive the pressure of said spring. the hook being wholly received into the other plug when said seat is so. engaged and being reciprocable upon manipulation of said stem to a position in which it projects from said other plug to freely receive a line which is drawn into said other plug on a non-rectilinear path to be bent against the plug by thecompression of said spring upon the release of said stem, said hook being of less width than the aperture of the plug: to provide clearance for the line drawn into the plug whereby the line is snubbed about the plug without being pinched between the hookv and the plug.

2. A, shing bob comprising. a, body havingv a bore and an internal spring chamber, a compression'spring housed within. said chamber, said body being. provided1 with. a removable tubular rubber plug. tted in one end, of saidV bore and providing a spring seat and aiording access to said chamber, a,4 stem:A projecting from saidbody from the other end of said boreand provided withinisaid chamber with. a tting extending through said spring andY terminating. in. a. hook normally completely concealed withinthe tubular plug i'n said boreand reciprocable to an exposedposition outside of said plug. andbody upon. the manipulation. of said stem, said iitting having a seat engaged by said spring whereby said spring retracts said hook into the. plug and opposes the manipulation. of the stem to project the hook from` the bore,. the hook` is narrower than said bore wherebya sh line about said hook and retracted with said hook into the bore is gripped against the plug.

3. In a fishing bobber adapted for detachable connection with a fish line, the combination with a body having a bore and a lining at one end of the bore, of a stem slidingly mounted in the bore with one ende normally exposed and the other end provided with a hooi;` normally housed within the bore, and a spring normally holding the hook within the bore, said stem being subject to REFERENCES CITED' The:v following references arey of record in theile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 522,167 Rawlings June 2 6, 1894 729,687 Smith .June 2', 1903i 1,110,568 Ogden Sept. .15, 19114.'. 1,371,170' Johnson Marv'. 8, 1921,' 1,504,065 Lower Aug. 5, 1924 1,850,748 Foster Mar; 22', 19.32 1,912,738 Zimmer Jan. 9,V 1934' 2,231,270 Huston Feb. 1I, 19.41 2,255,853 Makus et al Sept. 16, 1941 

